Bakhshi Iman
DJAGFAR TARIHI
(THE ANNALS OF DJAGFAR)

Volume 3F.NurutdinovConspectus of “Djagfar Tarihi“ fragmentsBakhshi ImanFragments from the text of“DJAGFAR TARIHI“KultasiFragments from the annals“HISTORY OF THE KAZAN“Kul GaliFragments from the book“HON KITABY “

Translator's Notes

In the statement of the author and publisher Fargat
Gabdul-Khamitovich Nurutdinov, he wrote the annalistic contents of the Volume 3 as a conspectus. Per F.Nurutdinov, the conspectus renders the
annalistic information in the “Djagfar
Tarihi“ of the snatched original translation of collection. While studying in the
IYALI KFAN USSR (Language and Literature Institute of the Kazan Branch of USSR
Academy of Sciences) graduate school, F.Nurutdinov reportedly tried to initiate
publication of the translation of the annals, but that led to an opposite result, in
1982 all Nigmatullin original notebooks with the text of the translation were snatched
from the summer cabin of his father. F.Nurutdinov retained only a portion of “Djagfar's“
translation that was located at his Kazan home, apparently none of then were
Nigmatullin's original notebooks. However, F.Nurutdinov's notes in the text indicate
that some portions are of the original Nigmatullin translation.

Page numbers, where shown, indicate pages in the
book publication.

The offered copy of the printed edition has not been
properly proofread, and still contains typos and misspellings, for which I
apologize and intend to correct them with time.

The “mouse over“ explanations
basically follow the definitions found in the Annals and represent the views of
its writers, which may be different from the known or accepted conditions of
the present time. They are the best guess and some of them may be incorrect
because of incorrect interpretation of the text by the translator. The
translator of the Annals to Russian left a multitude of Türkisms in his
translation, and they are preserved in the English translation,
in blue, and the
comments included in the publication are marked
in blue, with additional comments
by the translator from Russian to English denoted with a marker “-
Translator's Note“.

1. Emir Bulüm-Ordu negotiated with Khan Uzbek in the Altyn muncha, moved from the Bulyar, where it was called
Kuk muncha. These negotiations lasted 3 days, and were so pleasant to the Khan that he
gave up on the Bulgarian tribute to the Kypchak Ulus and agreed to forget the Sabandjar affair and not
to start a war because of it...

Also participated in the negotiations and shined their wisdom
the Bolgar city sheikhs, the teachers and instructors of the Khan...

All our Kans visited Kuk muncha in Bulyar, and also did the well-known
sheikhs:... Abu Hamid...... Kul Daud...... Garib Rumi...(this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

2. “The ceremony of raising Chelbir to the throne happened after he already
returned from the campaign against the Shir
[Don] Kypchaks...

Apart of this ceremony was an oath by the Kan to ensure the prosperity of the country and
defeat of all the Bulgar's enemies. All Kans, also including Chelbir, gave this oath
over Koran with a bowl of bal (honey - Translator's
Note) in hand, and
after stating the oath he drank the bal. This ritual bowl was a special one. It
was made from the skull of the Rus Prince Barys [Svyatoslav I](945-972 - Translator's Note) by the
Bulgarian viceroy of the city Tamiya Tarkhan (In
Rus' records “Tmutarakhan“- Translator's Note) Kurakhan, who killed
the Prince
during an attack by Barys on a Bulgarian trading caravan. Kura-Khan sent this bowl
as a gift to Talib, and he was the first of the Bulgarian Kans who has
drunk from it during the ceremony of the raising to the throne. The Kapagan, that is
the Visier, Abdallah... was holding a sword in front of him... The sprinkling
with water
was replaced...by sprinkling with coins...

The illnesses exorcized... by sprinkling water with a birch broom and
pounding with
this broom... “ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

3. “Shakh-Timer [Tamerlan] did not touch the Bulgarian population of
these ancient cities of ours, and allowed them to leave to Bulgar... “
(this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

4. “When the Ulugbek Halil, a son of Mahmudtek, accidentally let one Rus merchant, who
feigned that his ship was a ship of the Shirvan ambassador, to pass into the mouth of
Idel, he immediately was displaced and arrested under an order of the Seid-Emir
Yabyk-Mohammed. But our Asatarkhan checkpoint happened to be vigilant, it seized the
deceiver, and he saved his life and a part of the goods only because he accepted Islam
and took the name of the just born grandson of Yabyk-Mohammed, Kan Yusuf [Sain-Yusuf]..

If the Sakchi-Bolgar city was renamed into Sarai al-Djadid, another our Saksinian city, Kavaly-Suvar
was renamed into Sarai al-Mahrus. These names have not replaced the old
ones, because the
word “sarai“ was used in the sense of the “residence“, “headquarters“...

Astarhan [Asatarkhan]
and Tümen [Tümen] subordinated to Bulgar, and
were furnishing troops and paid a tribute... When Asatarkhan and Seber [Siberian]
Khans showed excessive independence, our troops entered these
cities... In the 1490 the Asatarkhan Khan tried to establish again in Astarhae a
Bukhara mahalya. That would threaten the trade of our merchants, and
consequently the State army by the order of Burash seized the city...

The Astarhan was even spoken about:“The city of Astarhan is a Bulgarian market...“,

The Moscow tribute to Bulgar was one thousand rubles, the Siberian tribute
during Aybak times was1000 sable pelts, and during the Taybugian times they were
respectively 2 thousand rubles and 2 thousand
sable pelts, and the Asatarkhanian tribute was 1 thousand rubles and 10 thousand
sturgeon fish...59

The Kolyn
(in Rus' records “Khvalynsk“, later Vyatka and Kirov - Translator's Note),
which was seized by Balyn [Moskovia] for the Burash's non-payment
of the promised for the help sum, was returned to Bulgar by the Ulugbek Mohammed-Amin
in 1505, along with the Unja and Midjer... In the 1524 Balyn again seized these
lands...“ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

6. “... Mohammediyar Bu-Yurgan set out from the Bardjil [Persia] to Rum
[Turkey], and then to Crimea to his friend... Sahib-Garay,
from where he already
returned to Kazan... Starting from the Saklanian mountains he was
accompanied by a detachment sent by the Khan ... Bu-Yurgan dedicated one poem
to Sahib-Garay, who begged him to remain in the Crimea... In addition, Bu-Yurgan in detail and with admiration described
the activities of Sahib-Garayin in the office of the Kazan Ulugbek. In
particular, Bu-Yurgan noted erection during his tenure of the several magnificent mosques
in the Kazan, built by the masters he brought from the Rum. However, Seid-Emir Kul-Ashraf,
who wrongly blamed
Sahib-Garay as an initiator of the murder of his father, ripped out in
irritation those pages from the book of Bu-Yurgan, and changed his description...

The brother of Kul-Ashraf, Fazyl, whom was also called Vasyl, was so prideful
that during his stay in Ufa he made evrybody to call that city by his name - Fazyl
or Vasyl Balik...“ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

F.NurutdinovConspectus of “Djagfar Tarihi“ fragmentsKultasi7. Fragments from the annals“HISTORY OF THE KAZAN“

1. DJAN-GALI'S WAR

1. “... In the aul Muhsha-Bakyrcha (or Muhshy-Bakyrchy?? - Translator's Note)
remains the tomb of the Crimean ambassador Arslan
Chelebi, who dyed from the hands of the infidels in the Kazan. At his burial
was the seid Mohammediyar, who was a friend of the deceased...

This aul then was in the Khan's yurtluk (demesne - Translator's Note)...

Seid Djan-Gali was a son of the mullah Abdrazak and a grandson of Mamysh-Birde... His possessions were on the
Mountain Side, near Churtan [Sviyazhsk]... When the papazes
[priests] began demolishing mosques and
torture people to
death the for remaining loyal to the true belief, Djan-Gali
attacked a group of Tatars and armed karatunians [crusader monks] and killed twelve of them.
Four of his friends were killed in
the assault, and a fifth was wounded and fell into the hands of the Tatars
who accompanied the papazes. The Tatars tortured him with every possible
torments, even burned his feet in a fire, but he did not betray the seid and died
as a shahid [martyr]. After that battle, the seid began dispatching letters
everywhere, with a call for a war with the enemies of the faith, where he called
himself seid Djan-Gali...

When the Ruses started talking that a reserve group is gathering in Churtan
for the army of the Cossack Khan Idjim-Tura [False Dmitry], who promised a
freedom for the devout, the seid immediately set out to that city. But by the
time of his arrival
the group has already left to Idjim-Tura to the Kara-Saklan
[Ukraine], and to his hands came only the letter of the
Khan's Sardar, Djan-Kazak [Ivan
Bolotnikov] in Türkic language ...

Then his rebellion became obvious, and he had to leave, with
several mürids, to the woods, and to begin an open war with the tormentors of
the Moslems.
Those who saw him, said that he was exceptionally impressing the people
by his nobleness and courage...

Freeing from the enemy the lands of his grandfather along the Chuyl, the seid
went to free the Chirmysh (i.e. Finno-Ugrian - Translator's Note)
part of his possessions... During the capture of
the city Uran [Yaransk, fell on January, 5, 1609] he was wounded and
sent with a wagon train of gazis to the Kazan. On the way, the wagon train fell in an
ambush by a platoon of the Kazan voevoda (commander - Translator's Note)
Bakdan [Bogdan Velsky], but however the
sardar of
the detachment not only did not deliver Djan-Gali, but has even sheltered him in
his house and even took his name. Later he became a centurion of one of the seid's
units...

As soon as his wound healed, Djan-Gali went with a group in
two hundred gaziys to the Churtan, and on the way burned and destroyed the fortress
Satlyk. Here once was traitorously captured his grandfather Mamysh-Birde.
As the local garrison and the monks gave him a strong resistance, he
did not
spare those captured with weapon in their hands...

From there, already with 900 Bulgars and 500 Chuvashes, the seid went to Chybyksaru
[Cheboksars] and in the autumn
[of the 1609] took that city, in which once
served his grandfather...

After that, the seid came to the Khan-Kerman [Kasimov] Khan Uraz-Mohammed
and offered him to take the whole Bulgaria under his power. Khan-Kerman remained the
only independent Bulgarian possession
built similar to the Bulgar city. Together with Khan he visited, as a Sardar of
the Bulgars, the Baylak Khan [Polish king]
and returned from him inspired by the promise of the Khan [king] to recognize
an independence of the Bulgar. Leaving the Khan, he went to Churtan to procure an
army for the Khan, but as soon as he left the Khan [Uraz-Mohammed] was killed by the
infidels. From the Chybyksar he went again ... to the Chirmyshes... Here to his group
joined about 200 of the Arean Chirmyshes, and from there he went to the Kazan... The
inhabitants of the city, frightened by the seid's army, threw voevoda Bakdan,
the enemy of the Moslems, from a tower (in one of the legends told to me by my
father P-H.N.Nurutdinov, B.Belsky was thrown down from the Süümbika Tower), and
also promised to pay a tribute to the gaziys. Seeing from the Kazanians such a
respect, Djan-Gali left from the city to the Echke-Gazan. After fortifying the gaziys
there, he went to Istanbul to the Sultan of the devout, and gained a big
army tgiven to him to help the gaziys.
But the Asatarkhan Cossacks did not allow a passage for this army toward the Kazan, declaring::
“We shall deal with the Moscow people ourselves“.
So, Djan-Gali had to return to Kazan from the Azak alone...
60
61

A few traitors handed over the Kazan to a large army arriving from
the Moscow [March, 1613]... After fortifying in the Kazan, the Moscow army
attacked the Echke-Gazan, but was defeated...

However, the Moscow voevodas in the Kazan were receiving new troops, and the gaziys forces did not
receive any reinforcements, because voevodas set up strong bulwarks around the
Echke-Gazan. Therefore, after five years of fighting, Djan-Gali with the remains
of the army broke through fifteen bulwarks and left to the Bashkort
[Bashkiria]... (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

2. AHMETZYAN KULTASI
ALTYNBEK DJURS

Ahmetzyan Kultasi (whose surname
sometimes is written in the form
“Kultari“) in his
History of Kazan preserved this
legend. It is said that (in 1236) Kan Altynbek,
also called Alan or Kan-Alan, managed to escape from the capital when Gazan-Bek
broke through to the Bulyar...

Leaving Gazan - Bek to cover a ferry across Adigel (Kama), Altynbek has
vanished beyond the Gazan (Kazan), together with his djurs
(militia combatants), Djurash (Vajnah)(eastern part of the Northern Caucasus, present
Dagestan and Vaynakhstan (“Checheno-Ingushetia“) - Translator's Note) Bek Mukash,
Ishtyak (Khanty? - Translator's Note) Bek Düsay,
Kypchak Bek Kudash Kan-Turchi, Baygul Tarkhan Yabynchi, Bahty vali Djambahty,
and Mamed Kadysh... All of them settled in the Atnya tuba, where lived the Bulgars from
the clan Atnya. And this clan is Honish (Hunnnish -
Translator's Note)
by origin. All Atnyains revered geese, and their tuba was called by the people Kazile
(kaz = goose - Translator's Note)...

In the 1430 Emir Gali-Bei, who also called himself
“Kazanchi-Sain“, attacked the descendants of these djurs, and during
a two-years war defeated them and forced them to flee to Cheremshan, to
the Ashrafids. Those accepted them with a delight, and gave to them the
lands along the Chulman-Idel (upper Kama - Translator's
Note) and Adigel (r. White, a tributary to
Kama - Translator's Note)... (this is mine rendition
of the “Nigmatullin's text“).

1. “... The Name “Chelbir“ means “potentate“, and it is
combined of two Suvar words “chelb“ - “whole world “, “universe“, and “bir“ - “possessor“...

“Karabag“ in
the language of the Suvar Bulgars means “Alp [spirit] of war and victory“,
in other words Buri-Baryn. And in the Dyau-Khondjak (Karabah
- Translator's Note) is really a
rock with Karabag's image, to which the local Bulgars pray before setting out
for a campaign... “ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

2. “... In the 1050 Khan Azan (Asan), the son of Ishim, who headed the
Kypchak horde after the death of his father, refused to execute the
order of the Kan Baluk to suppress the revolt of the Bulgarian igenchis. For
that Baluk
ordered to flog the insubordinate with knouts and to appoint Sharykhan (Sharafhan),
the son of Azan, as the head of the horde. When the Sharykhan noted to
the Kan that he cannot do it while his father is alive, Baluk declared: “I
appoint the commander Kur-Batyr as your father,
and I declare that Azan is our slave“ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

3. “... Saksinians assert that their province and the city Saksin-Bolgar
are named in honour of Saksin Razi, the ambassador of the Caliph who came to
Kan Almysh (in 922). When somebody denies that, they
get upset and
are offended... “ (this is “Nigmatullin's text“).

4. The tso-sign on the Bish Baltavar menzel, called “two-headed snake“ or “two-headed dragon“...
The people said: “... The Kazan dragon has two
heads, a bull and a snake, because some inhabitants of Kazan insist that
Kazan was founded in the Year of Bull, and the others insist that it was in the
Year of Dragon... “ (this is
my rendition of the “Nigmatullin's text“).

5... Subyatai wanted to capture Bulyar on the Mutton Fight day, the
September 17, but he could not do it... (this is
my rendition of the “Nigmatullin's text“).

6... Kul Gali
tells that the most well-known descendants of the Kans Burtas
(legendary Idelian Khan, Gr. “Partatua“, 683 — 633 BC
Translator's Note) and Madji
(son of Kan Burtas, Madji-Idjik, legendary Idelian Khan still ruling in 625 BC - Translator's Note) were Askal,
also called Alvar, and Magiz, Étéy also called At, Atay and Ati, Chilyar and his son Kylbur...

Askal was killed by his brother because he ostensibly refused to
wage a war with Kryashians (Greeks)...

Étéy fell in a battle with the Kan of the divines Baldiu or Balbal.
The son of Étéy Balamir
in memory of his father gave to Idel a second name “Atil“ -the “Land of Étéy“.
Kan Tuki or Tukay (Atilla) took this name as his second name...

Balamir for some time waged a war, together with Alamir-Sultan
(Alexander the Great
- Translator's Note), against Kan Targiz of Bardjil
(Persia - Translator's Note) because
the predesessor of Targiz captured and killed his ancestor Torgan or Asparyk.
The son of Torgan, Kunduz, was then
in a mother's womb of Tamyr-bika, but all the same, out of respect for his father,
he was elected a Kan. Until he was born and has grown up, Tamyr-bika ruled for him. If
a girl was born, then another relative of Torgan would were elected a Kan... On
the Kunduz banner was a
“Baltavar“ image,
therefore he was also called Baltavar. Baltavar
defeated the Bardjils, and in the battle with them participated his adolescent son Mosha. Baltavar
was also called
“Timer“...

Balamir helped Alamir-Sultan to crush Targiz, and in memory of the
victory he has named his son Targiz by the name of Alamir-Sultan... (this is
my rendition of the “Nigmatullin's text“).62
63

F.NurutdinovConspectus of “Djagfar Tarihi“ fragmentsKul Gali8. Fragments from the book“HON KITABY “
ABSTRACT OF THE ACCOUNT
ABOUT BULGARO-KYPCHAK RELATIONS

LEGEND ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF
THE NAME
“KYPCHAK“

Once in the Turkestan (Kazakhstan) a tribe of the southern Sakas, Massagets
(Masguts) suddenly attacked the central Sakas,
the Sarmatians (Chirmyshes). All Chirmyshes were
annihilated, but the leader of the Sarmatians Tamyr-bika has had
time before her death to hide the baby, her son, in hollow of a tree. The boy
was found and brought up by the Türks. They called him Kypchak “From the tree hollow“.
Kypchak took 40 Türkic maids as his wives, and his children
from them have established 40 clans of the Türkic-lingual Sakas. They began to
be called “Kyrgyzes“ (i.e.“forty girls“ -in memory of
the Kypchak's forty wives) or “Kypchaks“...

The Sakas, who preserved their Indo-Arian (in the Eurocentric science,
“Arian“ is defined as Proto-Indo-Iranian undifferentiated language, aka Proto-Indo-European and
Proto-Indo-Germanic, and the term “Indo-Arian“ here
must refer to a different “Arian“, because otherwise it would be akin to the
“English-Apian“ language during the Age of the Apes, provided that English
descended from the apes like the rest of the humankind. The very notion “Arian“
is an invention 6 centuries younger than Kul Gali, the comments of this and the
following paragraphs are clearly outside of the Kul Gali's citations, but in the
book edition they are not clearly delineated as outside comments
- Translator's Note) language, continued to be called “Sagdaks“
(Sakas). A part of the Massagets also was at the same time Türkified, and
they received from the Bulgars the name “Oimeks“, sometimes transmitted in the form “Kimak“, and
the other Massagets, who have kept their Indo-Arian language, remained to be called “Masguts“.

Bulgars regard themselves to be Türkified Sakas (Saklan, Saklab). It is
known that the Bulgars consolidated as a result of commingling of seven tribes,
the tribes
of Sakas, Kars (Finns), Ishtyaks
(Ugrs) and Sarychins
(Türks) (from “sary chechle“ = “blond people“, which describes only a
fraction of the genotypes of the Türks, synonymous with the “Kipchak“ = “White
Sakas“ and “Kusün/Kushan“ = “White Hun“, i.e. only the “pale“ fraction of the
Türks joined the Bulgarian confederation
- Translator's Note). The ancient
writers unanimously highlight among these tribes the Indo-Arian tribes Baryndjar,
Shud and Téki, the Türkic tribe May (Miken, Magun, Men) and the others
(the ancient
writers could not have used the notions “Indo-Arian“ and “Türkic“, they predated
these notions by millenniums
- Translator's Note)...

In the 9th century into the Internal Bulgaria (Echke Bolgar) from the
north (from the side of the Vyatka city)(Kolyn (866-1374, captured by Novgorod Republic in
1374 => Khlynov (1374-1781) => Vyatka (1781-1934) => Kirov
(1934-present), indicate the timespan limits for the comments, 1781-1934
- Translator's Note) penetrate the Ugrian
tribe Nukrat (from that comes the Bulgarian name of the Vyatka city, “Nukrat“), and from the east, from
the Siberia penetrated the Türkified Ugrs, Askals
(and therefore the Bulgars sometimes called Siberia “Askal“).

15 thousand years ago the Idelians-Bulgars formed in the Itil-Ural area the state Idel, which
was also called Turan. From the 7th c. AD the Idel already started to be called by
the name
of the people, Bulgars (Bulgaria, Bolgar, Bulgars, Burgar, etc.).

A part of Sakas, who left from the Idelian
Kazakhstan to the south during the rise in the Idel of the Alanian dynasty
hostile to them, began to be called Kashans (Kushan) ....

A part of the Masguts and Oimeks, who enlisted into the service of
the Alanian dynasty in Idel, began to be called Alans...

In the 7th century AD Bulgaria fragmented into five large parts:

Ulag-Bolgar (Danube Bulgaria),

Kara-Bolgar (future Russia and Northern Pontic)

Khazar (Khazaria);

Avar (Avaria), and

Ak-Bolgar (Itil-Ural-Sibirian Bulgaria).

The Oimeks (Kimaks), who earlier subordinated to the Bulgaria, took advantage
of the split and proclaimed themselves an Oimek (Kimak) Kaganate. Since the majority
of that imaginary state consisted of the Kypchaks or Kyrgyzes, the Oimeks
adopted
some Kypchak customs, and therefore, the names “Kypchak“ and “Kyrgyz“ also were
spread on them. Only the
Bulgars could still distinguish the Oimeks from the Kypchaks. The seat Oimek Khans
was in the place of the former seat of the Kan Bulümar and the Türkish Kagan Idjim
(Istemi) on the river Idjim (Ishim), which
the Bulgars called Kyzyl (Kuman) Yar
(Djar), which meant Red, and also Yellow and Golden (Kyzyl, Kuman)
Head (yar, djar). The Kypchaks called that
place by a brief “Kuman“, so they received one more nickname
“Kumans“.

“My maternal grandfather Muhammed-Karim Nigmatullin
was telling me the following Bulgarian legend about the origin of the city Kyzyl Yar
(nowadays Petropavlovsk city
in Kazakhstan): “About a thousand years ago the Bulyarian Bulgars' Khan was
attacked by the Oimek Khan, whose protector was Baradj (dragon) called Kyzyl (or Kuman)
Djar. The Bulyarians of the Saban quarter killed the Khan in a battle, but after
that his protector did not leave them to rest. Then the Bulyarians-Sabanians
went to the east. But Kyzyl Djar also pursued them on the road. When the immigrants reached the river Idjim in
the Tubdjak district, they have
completely grown weak, and their elder Izgar suggested: “Let's build
here a city and call it in honor of the dragon “Kyzyl Djar“,
perhaps, he would cease pursuing us “. And so they did. After that the dragon
really ceased attacking the Bulyarians, and they remained on the Idjim river“.

Then a part of the Kashanian (Kashan = Kashgaria
per “Djagfar Tarihi“ comments, but it is mostly mentioned as Central Asia
adjacent to the Aral (aka Kashan) Sea
- Translator's Note) Kypchaks-Kyrgyzes, not willing to obey the
Oimeks, subordinated to the Oguzian (Uziyan) tribe Kangly, formed together with
them a
new Badjanakian (Besenyo, Russ. Pechenegian) association and declared
themselves the
successor of the Kashan.

The other Oguzes were infuriated by this association, since they regarded
themselves to be the
true Türks, and the Kipchaks as the eternal slaves to the Türks. Therefore between them
flashed a
strong enmity. The Oguzes crushed Badjinaks, and
Badjinaks switched to the service
of Bulgar (Itil-Ural Bulgaria). But then the Oguzes tried to subjugate the Oimeks, and
and were defeated by them. One part of the Oguzes hired into the service of the Bulgar,
and another hired into the Khazar, and the third hired into the Samanids, and the fourth
came to obey the Oimeks.

In the 990es 240 thousand of Oguzes
(Russ. Torks) subordinated to Oimeks coached off to
the west and submitted to Bulgar. They were resettled in the south Bulgarian province Saksin. To keep this
mass of new subjects in check, Bulgar had to stop all its wars. But its own forces did not suffice,
and moreover the Oimeks
constantly attacked the eastern border of the Bulgar, demanding a return of the
Oguz fugitives. Fortunately, the Oimek horde split into two parts, a western (Karaoimek),
with the center in the Kyzyl Yar, and eastern
(Akoimek), and in the western part immediately begun internecine wars. In the 1020es
a first large Karaoimek horde of Khan Kuman fled
from the Kyzyl Yar to the Bulgar and in the 1028 it was hired by the Bulgarian Kan Baluk Ashraf
to the service. At that time Kan Baluk added to the title of the Bulgarian Kans
the expression “Kan of Kypchak (Desht-i Kypchak“. Khan Kuman had to keep order
with own forces among the tribes of
the Bulgarian Oguzes, constantly attacking each other. In the 1035 to the service
of kan Baluk in Saksin hired another large Karaoimek horde of Khan Ishim, and
the people of Kuman received a sanction to settle a part of the Mountain
and Meadow (Beyond the Kazan) sides of the Middle Itil.64
65

By the 1030es the hired Kypchaks (Kumans, Kyrgyzes)
constituted a major part of the
Bulgarian army. At the end of the 11th and in the 12th centuries in the Internal
Bulgaria were resettled a few hundred thousands of the Kumans, and the prevalence
there (in the rural areas) of the Kypchak-speaking population became overwhelming. But also,
of the 50 thousand
Bulgarian feudal lords, in the 12 century by origin were only about 10 thousand
of the Hon - Kaganian (Old Türkic) Oguzo-Bolgars and
Oguzo-Badjanaks belonging to the old Bulgarian clans. The other feudals came from
the new
Bulgarian clans (20 thousand were from Kumans, 10 thousand
were from Badjinaks, 10
thousand were from Oguses, Kytays, etc.).

In the 1045 a majority of the Saksin Badjinaks revolted against
unreasonable demands of Kan Baluk, and coached off to the Kharka area (r. Seversky Donets
basin). After a hungry winter a part of the Badjanak rebels, led by Kigeven-biy, agreed to return again
to the Bulgarian service. Kan Baluk pardoned the
rebels and aided them with food, and in return they had to avenge Chally-Urum
(Byzantium) for attacking the Bulgarian Crimea and
Tamiya-Tarkhan (Russ. Tmutorokan). Kigeven-biy
crossed Sula (Danube) to Bersula
(Dobrudja) but as
soon as Kryashes (Greeks, Byzantines) offered him a good service,
he immediately switched over to their side. But soon after that in the 1048 the
Oguz rebels, led by Tiryak, also fled to the Ulag-Bolgar out of the fear of the Bulgarian
attack. Byzantium have hired them also, tightening the Badjinaks' rights. Kigeven-biy
could not bear it, and with a support of the Ulag-Bolgars (Danube
Bolgars) he started a war against Byzantium. The horde of the Kigeven-biy
led a war for 10 years, after which for their valour it was been invited to the
Avaria (Hungary), and settled there. Some sons and grandsons of these biys came back
to
Bulgar for study or service.

In the 1055 from the Saksin into the Kara-Saklan
(Ukraine) steppe fled a majority of
the remaining Oguses in the Bulgarian service. A Bulgarian army of Kumans under
a command of Balus pursued the fugitives. Fleeing from the attacks of Balus
and famine, many Torks in the 1060es fled to the Rus Pereyaslavl Princedom and
to the Ulag-Bolgar (where they were accepted into the Byzantian service and
joined, like the former newcomers, in the Danube-Bulgarian
nationality). But a part of Oguses, deciding to not
test their fate any more, seized an independent Bulgarian beylik
(Princedom) Djeremel or Djerem-el
(“Deremela“ of the Rus sources) in the
basin of the r. Seversky Donets, and asked Balus to accept
them back into the Bulgarian service. Djerem-el (“Meadow
Country“ in the Bulgarian), where the owners were the Kara-Bulgarian biys
and lived many Karaim (Khazaro-Bulgarian) merchants and Ulag-Bulgarian
emigrants (especially the Hudayarians-Bogomils), was
a main link in communications of Rus with all southern countries, and a
competitor for the Bulgarian merchants. Therefore its capture was very favorable
for the Bulgar and very unfavorable to the Rus. In the 1060 the Rus Princes
led by the Pereyaslav Prince Bozbulat (Vsevolod) crushed this pro-Bulgarian group of
the Oguses (called by the author “Torks“, a variation
of Turks/Türks, in the Rus terminology
- Translator's Note), for which Balus in the 1061 crushed the army
and possessions of Vsevolod.

That same year (1061
- Translator's Note) the Bulgarian Prince Akhad, with help of Khan Azan
in his service, overthrew Baluk and became the Bulgar Kan, and then he rewarded Azan by
declaring him the head of the majority of the Saksinian Kumans again. In the
1068, under an
order of Akhad, the Azan's horde took Djerem-el
and defeated the Rus army. Adam (a governor of the Saksin) tried to prevent
that, but was uncovered and fled to the Seljuks, together with a group of the leader
of Bulgarian (Saksinian)Oguzes, Khan Dugar.

In the 1076 Azan, whose horde came to control the Karasaklanian steppe in the
interfluvial between the Dniepr and Don, received a message about an accession in
the Ak Jorty (Bulgar) of Adam, hostile to the Kumans, and
he declared his independence from the
Bulgar (using, though, intricate expressions: “I cannot serve
any more as before, Ak Jortu, my horde become
impoverished, and the people dispersed, somewhere“, etc.).

Azan was the wisest Kumanian Khan. He preserved the autonomy of the
Kara-Bulgarian Djerem-El, which was providing Kypchaks with the
trade incomes, craft
products, and agricultural foodstuff. At the same time he tried to be helpful in every possible way
for the powerful Bulgar. So, in the 1078 he allowed the Chernigov
Prince Yolyg or Alikay (Oleg), who was an enemy of Vsevolod Pereyaslavian, to
flee
and pass from the Chernigov to the Bulgarian city Tamiya-Tarkhan: Azan knew
that Adam did not like Vsevolod. The same year Azan helped Oleg of Chernigov and Dugar
to defeat the Rus army of Vsevoloda, and to break through to the
city of Chernigov. But near Chernigov, the same Azan suddenly retreated to the steppe,
together with Dugar, and Oleg suffered a defeat from a new Rus army.
Oleg again hid in the Tamiya-Tarkhan, which was unexpectedly captured by his
brother Urman (Roman) with a group of
Badjinaks. The brothers staged a pogrom
of the Bulgars-Karaims who constituted a prevailing part of the city population. In
the 1079, Roman, leaving Oleg in the Tamiya-Tarkhan becuase he was wounded by
the city 's guards,
started a next attack on the possessions of Vsevolod, but again his ally Azan did not dare to upset the relations with
the Rus and
forces Roman to retreat. On the way back a patrol of Balus, sent to the aid
of the Tamiyatarkhanians, blocks their way, and Azan agreed to turn Roman over to
the Bulgars. Roman died wrestling the Kumans of Azan, who were trying to tie him
up. Balus donated a bowl, made of the Roman's skull, to the
military mosque of the city of Dervishlar (“Chirmysh mosque“), where
the Mardanians-Arbugians prayed before campaigns against the enemies.
After the prayers, Mardanians were organizing a military feast and drank from that
skull bowl.67
66

After receiving a news about the approach of Balus,
the Tamiyatarkhanians arrested Oleg, but there, unexpectedly for everybody, in
the city landed Vsevolod's allies Byzantines. Balus approached the city and prepared
for its storm, but the huge Rus-Oguzian army
of Vsevolod hit it in the rear and forced to retreat. In response, in the 1080
the
Oguzes
of Dugar also pass through the lands of Azan to the Pereyaslavl, and
took to Saksin a few thousand of the Pereyaslavian
Oguzes. Deprived the best
Oguz horsemen,
the Rus cavalry bacame feeble, and does not dare any more to go to the steppe, and
Balus, hiring onto the Bulgarian service the vagrant groups of
the Rus Princes Daud (Davyd) and Byltyr
(Volodar),
took the Tamiya-Tarkhan without a big fight. The Bulgars-Karaims secretly let the
Balus troops into the city, and they only needed to exterminate and capture the sleeping
Ruses and to seize their Sardar (Vsevolod's “voevoda“ to whom
the Byzantines assigned the defence of the city). Daud accepted the
Karaim
faith and, together with
Byltyr, was left by Balus in the city as a head of the local Bulgarian garrison.
But in the 1083, Byltyr traitorously let Byzantines, who secretly crept to the city, into
the Tamiya-Tarkhan. Oleg, who arrived with the Byzantines (at
one time he switched to the Greek service), and also
Byltyr, inflicted a terrible pogrom on the Bulgars-Karaims, for which Daud, who hardly had
a time to escape, has sworn to severely revenge. Soon (in
the 1084), Daud together
with the Tetesh's horde beaten off from the Byzantines the Bulgarian city of Ulush(Rus. “Oleshie“), where
he plundered the Greek merchants, and then (in 1097)
he blinded the brother Volodar, Vasyl (Vasilko).

Tetesh-Gali was one of the five sons of Khan Kuman-Djumad, he acheaved the
governor post in the Bulgarian province Martüba, and received the lands on the
Mountain Side. Impudent Byzantinian attacks on the Tamiya-Tarkhan forced Kan Adam
to set up a community,“Suba“, under the command of Tetesh, able to
provision itself and to coach
in the steppe, like a nomadic horde. In the Suba (horde)
of Tetesh were included
a few thousand
Badjinaks from the Bulgarian province
Mardan-Bellak (because that
province was also called by the people “Burtas“, its
Badjinaks also were called
Burtases), Djumad's Kypchaks, and the Serbian
(the Türkic ancestors of the Chuvashes, of the Türküt root, as stated elsewhere
in the Djagfar Tarihi Annals
- Translator's Note)igencheys
(peasants), and also a few
tens of artizans and engineers capable to make and repair tilgans
(chariots, large merchantile and military carts, siege machines). When
Tetesh's horde stopped, everyone took to work: the engineers were setting
up a
Bulgarian fortified camp (out of one or several circles of tilgans-carts
with tents), which the merchants called “tabyr“, and the soldiers
called “subakala“ (it is interesting that the
poorly fortified balik “Abikyul“, a district in the city Uchel, the Bulgars
jokingly called “subakala“), the Serbians cultivated land (during long
stay), the artizans made
necessary implements, the shepherds grazed cattle, etc.69

It was Tetesh who Adam charged
with a severe punishment of the Byzantium, and with attacking its borders in all
the extent
from the Danube to the Crimea. Tetesh did not have to take the Tamiya-Tarkhan, Balus had time to beat this city
off from the
Byzantines. Thus the Badjanaks and Kumans of Balus captured Oleg
of Chernigov, who for his crimes had to remain in captivity in the Bulgaria for 10 years. From
an immediate death Oleg was saved by accepting the Hudaiyar
(Bogomil) faith, and the
Khudaiyar (Bogomil) community, influential in the city, managed to elicit
from Adam a mitigation of the verdict. For that, the Bogomils promised to help
Bulgars in their struggle with the Byzantium. Adam
cherished a dream to restore the domination of the Bulgars in the Ulag-Bolgar, and
coveted, at
a good opportunity, together with the Seljuks completely destroy and divide the “impious and
debauched“ Byzantium. Taking the Ulush on the Dniepr, Tetesh passed to
the Ulag-Kashan (lands between Danube and Dniestr)(i.e. present Moldova - Translator's Note), and in the local city Ak-Kerman
(Belgorod on the Dniestr) took in his horde the
troops of
the Prince Asli (Seslav, Vseslav), the great-grandson of the
Ulag-Bulgarian
Kan
Shamil (Samuil). With the help of Khudaiyars, Tetesh in
the 1085 took from the Byzantium
the tuba (district, province) Turysala
(Dorostol, Dristr, Silistra) in the Ulag-Bolgar.
Adam sent to help him just hired into the service Karaoimek
horde of Kydan and Ytlar, together with the troops of the Tetesh brother Chalgy-Bek.
With that force, Tetesh within seven years took the city of Kashan
(Konstantsa, Constanta), the most
important areas of the Ulag-Bolgar (Makidan, Buyrak, etc.)
and started
threatening Istanbul (Constantinopole, Rus. Tsar-grad).
The Khans of Chally Uruma began paying thim a
tribute, trying to defer the day of their full destruction, but a sudden
treachery by Dugar (1091) changed it all...

Baffled that Dugar, who was in service to Bulgar, turned out on the side of
the Byzantium, together with the Kumanian Khan Bunek (Bonyak),
and that he could not receive any instructions from the Bulgar about it
(Tetesh'e messengers were killed by the Dugar's people), Tetesh sent messengers
to Dugar, and received from him a news about a quarrel between Adam and the
Uzian Sultan (it appears that here author calls the
same Oguzes, but in the Seljuk confederation, “Uzes“
- Translator's Note) and about a termination in this connection
of the war with the Byzantium. Shaken by the Dugar's message, Tetesh pulled his
troops
from the Ulag-Bolgar, and his allies Khudaiyars and the Rumian Badjinaks and
Oguzes
were crushed by Dugar and Bonyak. Adam, after receiving a news about it, came to
an indescribable fury, but Dugar sent him generous gifts from the
Byzantines, and ransomed for them his head. But nevertheless the Kan deprived
Dugar from the Khin-Kerman, and returned it to him only in the 1095, when Dugar helped
Chally-Urumian Khan.

In the 1094 Dugar has brought to Bulyar the deposed Chally-Urumian Khan Arslan
(Leo Diogen), who was asking Adam to help him to
regain his
throne. Adam allowed Dugar to do it, but Dugar (in 1095)
only reached
the city Kan-Dere (Odrin, Edirne) and then retreated.70

Meanwhile Kydan and Ytlar, carrying out the order of Adam, in 1091 have
subordinated to the Bulgar almost all of the Kara-Saklanian steppe, and in
the 1092 began to successfully attack the Bashtu (Kyiv).

In the 1094, Balus with Kydan, Ytlar and Dugar, under an order of
Adam, defeated Prince Bulymer (Vladimir Monomah) and
installed instead Oleg
of Chernigov, who was released from the Bulgarian captivity, as the Prince
(Oleg agreed to serve to Bulgar).

But their successes aroused Kydan and Ytlar, and they decided to
betray Bulgar and seize the Bulgarian Saksin in alliance with Rus.
At the same time Dugar also was planing the same. The Rus Princes, however,
chose to keep peaceful relations with the Bulgar. With the help of Boyan-Bek
(Prince) of the Kaubuys (Kaubuys or “Kovuys“
were Kara-Bolgars of the Chernigov Princedom, who had a full autonomy and consequently
were willingly
protecting that area) the Prince Bulymer (Bulymer/Vladimir
Monomah, son of Bozbulat/Vsevolod.
Here is the Rus version of the events
- Translator's Note) lured Kydan and
Ytlar into a trap and killed them (in 1095). Then
another Rus Prince killed Dugar (in 1096). The
letters of these Khans (in the Bulgarian Türki), where they offered the Rus Princes
to ally with them against Bulgar, Bulymer sent to Adam, and Adam in a fury
allowed the Rus Princes
to crush the possessions of the hostile to Bulgar Kumans. In fact, Shamgun (the son
of Adam), not knowing about it, was still at war, together with Oleg of Chernigov, against
Bulymer, but Adam soon withdrew him back.

With a sanction of Adam, Bulymer immediately
gathered the armies of all Rus Princes and attacked with them Kumans
(in 1097). In the Kara-Saklan steppe the power then was
divided like this. Khan Bunek (a son of Ytlar) headed
the left-bank (of the
Dniepr basin) part of the Ytlar's horde, also combimed with a part of the Kydan's horde led by
the Kydan's son Khan Kurabay. It is interesting that this horde
settled down in the territory of the former yurtluks of the Kagan Kurbat
(the Badjanaks called him Kort, the Hungarians called him
Khorti, the Slavs called him Khor) and the Badjanak Khan Kura (Kort). The island
where was the Kurbat's customs house was
called “Kort-tash“and “Khor-dize“ (this name
was later altered to “Hortitsa“). The land between Hortitsa and
the Dniepr influent Kichi-Sula (Sula), the Bulgars
called Kortüba (Korsuba). In the area between the
Lower Dniepr and Crimea, south from Hortitsa (Bulgars called that area Djakyn or
Takin-tüba) was coaching the horde of Urus-abay (a grandson of Khan Ishim and
a son of Khan Shonkyr), which also included the horde of Khan Aldan-abay
(a younger
son of Kydan). Kypchaks did not live in Crimea,
there lived Badjanaks and
Oguzes,
controlled by the governors of Saksin. The ferry across Dniepr at
Ulush was protected by the mercenaries also hired by the Bulgar: Kara-Bulgarian,
Ulag-Bulgarian and
Rus Princes (the hired Rusins the Kara-Bolgars called Anchians, and the Bulgars
called them Chirkeses) , who reported directly to the Saksin governors.

In the 1101 the Rus armies crushed the horde of Bunek, and he retreated to
the Djerem-El, defended by Sharafhan (Sharykhan , Sharyk-Khan), a
son of the Khan Azan. There, like in the Bulgarian Crimea and Tamiya-Tarkhan,
were hiding from prosecutions many Ulag-Bulgarian Princes and Boyars, and also
the Khudaiyars (to which
number belonged Oleg of Chernigov and some of his descendants, Igor Svyatoslavich,
Vladimir Svyatoslavich, etc.) (this religious
divergence helps to explain a number of historical facts that remained deeply
enigmatic in the studies exclusively limited to the Rus nationalistic chronicles
that glorify the newly acquared
Greek Christianity of the incipient Rus monarchy, but are silent about the
religious beliefs of the opposing sides within the emerging proncipalities
- Translator's Note). However,
Bulymer wanted to spare
Djerem-El, necessary for the southern Rus trade, and consequently in the 1103 his army unexpectedly struck
the Urus-Abay
horde. The horde was defeated, and Urus-Abay and
Aldai-Abay died in fight. Frankly, Adam decided to
take advantage of the heavy for the Russia Rus-Kypchak war, and to double the size
of the tribute from Rus, accusing Bulymer of supporting the son of
Azan Khan Ayubay (Aepa), who was reportedly
implicated in some robberies. In the 1104 the
Bulgarian army, under a pretext of a search for Ayubay in Rus, took
the Kan-Mardan (Murom) and forced the captured Murom Prince to recognize
his dependency from the Bulgar, and in the 1107 it besieged the Balyn
(Suzdal). But
as soon as Vladimir agreed to double the tribute to the Bulgar, Adam as removed
the siege from Suzdal and ceased searching for Ayubay.

Vladimir, offended by the Adam actions, soon (in 1108)
demonstratively
married his son Djurgi (Üry) to the daughter of Ayubay. In response the
egocentric Adam ordered the governor of Martüba Emir Kolyn to punish Rus. Kolyn captured
the Djirian (Rostov) and Galidjian
(Novgorod) lands north from the Moskha
(Sukhona), and began collecting tribute from the
population of Kula (river Kuloy), Djangi (Onega), Chelmaty
(Chelmakhta), Kudim (Kodem), Tuyma
(Toyma). The Galidjians responded with an attack on Uchel
(in the 1110 or 1111), but were crushed by Kolyn. For this attack Kolyn has
ravaged the
Koba-Kjul (Beloozero), capturing huge spoils.

Meanwhile Bunek from Djerem-El was also making one attack on Rus after
another, and in the 1111 Bulymer had to intervine there, together with
Ayubay who joined the
Rus foeces. Bulymer only wanted to expel Kumans from the
Djerem-El, and to keep this beylik, but Ayubay began indiscriminately burning and plundering
everything and everybody.70
71

Scared by the Bulgarian attacks and by the behaviour of Ayubay, Vladimir
announced to Adam that he was breaking off all relations with Ayubay. In reply
to that “courtesy“, Adam
also has shown a “courtesy“: he removed Kolyn from the post of the governor
of Martüba.

The population of the Djeremelian cities (Sharafkan, named in honour
of Baluk,
and also Balyn, Sygyr or Shugur, Chyrshy, etc.) fled in horror to the Bulgarian menzels
(stations) along the protected Horys
(Khorysdan) road, or to the Kurchak
(Sculpturaya) üly (from the Bolgar to
the Kyiv). Despite of all the Vladimir's diligence, Ayubay and a
part of the Rus soldiers attacked the Bulgarian menzels, but were beaten
off by the Bulgarian detachments consisting of Kumans,
Oguzes and Badjinaks. For that crime
the Bulgars
(with the help of Bunek) lured a 10-thousand horde
of Ayubay in a trap near Bulyar, and
completely destroyed it (that event received a name“Ayubay's Weddings“). The beylik Djerem-El
has also ceased to exist, as well as a
few of the large Kumanian hordes. That
Bulymer in his war with the Kypchaks acted with approval of the Bulgar (to whom
the destruction of the Djerem-El and
restless Kumans was favourable), testifies the fact of a joint Bulgaro-Rus campaign in
the Ulag-Bolgar
(in 1116) (and the search for confirmation indicates
that the chapter is a transcript of the Kul Gali original, because Kul Gali
would not need any confirmation from independent sources for his narration
- Translator's Note). In that campaign Shirdan, a son of Tetesh, with
his Bulgarian
Suba, together with the warriors of Bulymer, helped Lion Diogen to take Turysala and
then returned to the Crimea. Sharafkhan with his sons Sarychin and Atrak fled from the Djerem-El
to Bulgar, where the old Sharafkhan died.
His sons were accepted into the Bulgarian service in Saksin. In the 1118 the
Saksinian governor Kolyn sent Atrak's horde to the aid of the eastern Seljuk
(Horasanian) Sultan Sandjar, who sent his armies against
the western Seljuk Sultan Mahmud. Atrak captured Dyau-Khondjak
(Karabah) from Mahmud, but then was blocked there by
the armies of Mahmud and had to
agree to unite in the 1120 with the Georgian King (David).

Sarychin remained to protect the Bulgarian border along the Lower Don. His son
As-Tarkhan received a
sanction to pasture along the Lower Itil, and founded the city of Astarhan there. Later
(in 1121), a part of the serving to the Rus Baryndjars-Berendeys
(i.e.
Kara-Bolgars living on the right bank of Dniepr and protecting Kyiv),
Oguzes and
Badjinaks (who fled in 1116 from the Saksin to the Rus) made
an attempt to settle on their own (by invitation of Bunek) the much desolated steppe of the Kara-Saklan,
but Bulymer (acting on the demand of the Bulgar) blocked
them thew way to the Djerem-El and
then the fugitives in quantity of not less than 50 thousand persons went to
the west and have intruded in the Ulagbolgarian tuba Bersula
(Dobrudja). Shirdan,
disturbed by this movement, followed the immigrants and positioned his tabyr
(or subakala) opposite
the Turysala. The Byzantines decimated
Oguzes
and
Badjinaks, and only the Baryndjars, who also set up a tabyr, escaped and broke to Shirdan at night. In the morning
the Byzantines tried to storm
the subakala of Shirdan, but were beatten off and retreatd. Shirdan led 6 thousand
of the rescued Baryndjars to Bulgar, and they were resettled in the Arsu
province (they were nicknamed“subakalalar“).
In addition to them, of the immigrants to the Bulgarian service was accepted the
Badjanak-Uzian horde of Kurlu-Bek (it appears that here
author calls “Uzes“the same Oguzes, called above the “Torks“
- Translator's Note). This
horde was charged with the protection of the Horys-üly. Kurlu-Bek for his loyal service received
a land and died in his Bulgarian estate on the Mountain Side.
His son Khasan-Kubek (Kobyak) from the Shirdan daughter Altysh-bika went in the 1152, under
an order of Emir Kolyn, with a part of his father
horde to the Kurtüba, and until 1183 he did not allow the Rus merchants
to pass from the Rus to the Black Sea. In 1183 he fell into the Rus captivity
and was executed. For that the Bulgarian Kan Gabdulla Chelbir in
the 1184-1185 attacked Kyiv. After that campain, the Kubek's horde
(under an order of
Chelbir) was headed by his son Momed-Altysh Kursan (Korsunsky),
which also was keeping the Rus merchants from the Black Sea
(Altysh's mother
was the daughter of the Kumanian Bek Guza). Later (in 1202), Altysh
participated in the capture of Kyiv. His sister was a mother of the Bulgarian
supreme commander Guza.

Bunek for his insubordinate actions lost his Bulgarian protection, that saved
his life in the 1110es. In the 1130Kurlu-Bek under an order of the Emir Kolyn defeated
the troops of Bunek, and he himself was given to the Ryazan Prince by the Bulgarian Kan
as a present. The restless Bunek, it is told, died like this in the Rus captivity.

In 1130es-1140es the Atrak horde gradually returned from the Georgia to
the Bulgarian service, receiving from the Bulgarian Emir Kolyn a promise to
be given to his horde a place for pastures. It was caused by the Shirvan governors
(Manuchihr III, etc.) starting fighting since the 1137
for the Dyau-Khondjak, the residence of the Atrak horde. Under an order of Kolyn, Atrak received Takin-tüba and in 1148
already went, together with the Suba of the son Shirdan's Yalchik
(so was called the river Yalomitsa in present Romania by
the Bulgars, beyond this river on their returm way from campaigns to Byzantium
for them started a safe way home), to a
new campaign against the Byzantium (the majority of the Bulgarian campaigns
against the Byzantium
was caused, as this campaign, by the attempts by the Greeks to hurt the
Bulgarian merchants and to expand their possessions and influence on the Black Sea
at the expense of the Bulgar positions). Yalchik took Turasala, and the Atrak
went deep
into the Ulag-Bolgar, but this time the Khudaiyars did not support the Bulgarian army
and it returned to Bulgar. In the 1149 Khan Kurlu made an unsuccessful attempt
to displace from the Don the horde of the Bunek son Khan Chishma. The fighting
reached the vicinities of the Bulgarian city Khin-Kerman (Sarkel).

In the 1152 Kolyn sent one part of the Atrak horde to the Yaroslavl
(the Rus Prince has not paid on time the tribute for the possession of the Djir,
the area of
the Upper Itil). A bit earlier (in the 1150) the sons of Atrak Khondjak
(Konchak)
and Terter (Tiptyar) with another part of the horde and with
the Yalchik Suba went
to a campaign against the Byzantium (the Byzantines offended
some Karaim merchants). The young
Khondjak in the 1155 croosed Sula (Danube) and plundered a part of
the Ulag-Bolgar territory, then croosed it back again and hid in
the subakala of the waiting for him Yalchik. The Byzantian troops tried to take
the Bulgarian tabyr, but was beaten (historians date this event
by 1152, 1154-1156). Though, Terter, who was covering the retreat of Khondjak
across Danube was taken a prisoner, but he accepted Christianity and received a rank
of Bulyar (boyar, a feudal lord close to the Kan). On
the
return way Khondjak unruly plundered the Rus lands near Kyiv.

In the 1160 the Seljuk (Ikoniya) Sultan Kylych-Arslan II sent
to the Bulgarian
tKan Anbal a letter in which he begged him about helping him
(in his struggle against Byzantium). The Seljuk ambassador, in view of
the urgency
of the request, was waiting for the selebrating Anbal for a few days, and still managed to
relay the message. Under an order of Anbal, Khondjak (Atrak died on
the
boundary of the 40es-50es of the 12th century) invaded Ulag-Bolgar, but when
he met a
large Byzantian army, he immediately turned back (under a pretext that
this time he acted alone and was risking too much). On the
return way Khondjak again unruly plundered the Rus lands near Kyiv.73
72

The unruly actions of the Kumans were noted even by the remote from the state
affairs Anbal. Taking advantage of it, and also using the presence of the
deathbed order
by Kolyn about a necessity to create a counterbalance in steppe
(just in a case) to
the Kumans, the Saksinian governor Otyak persuaded the Kan (in the middle of
the 50es of the
12 century) to move from the Tubdjak to the Kara-Saklan
the Oimeko-Badjanako-Uzian horde of the Oimek Khan Bashkort, who served to the Bulgar. The Bashkort's
horde has took the Takin-tüba and the northern Crimean steppe, and the
Khondjak's horde was transferred in the
place of the crushed Djerem-El. Khondjak became offended, and in the 1164,
when Otyak became a Bulgarian Kan, he stopped obeying Bulgar. To influence Khondjak, Chelbir ransomed from
a Rus captivity (in 1181) and resettled in the Internal Bulgaria two
of the Khondjak sons, Tatur and Bak-Abay.
It did the job: in the 1181 Khondjak came back to the Bulgarian service. At the
end of the 1185 Khondjak left again the Bulgarian service. Chelbir took it it easy:
the Bulgarian Black Sea territory was not threatened any more, and the
Khondjak's son of the Bak-Abay with the Bulgarian Suba watched constantly his father in
the steppe. In the 1202 Bak-Abay also
participated in the capture of Kyiv. After that Bak-Abay was nicknamed “Bakdan“, accepted Islam and under
a name of Bikmuhammed moved to his possession on the Meadow Side of the Bulgar.
He begotten the Bulgarian clan
Bakdan. And Tatur settled on the Mountain Side. A son of Tatur, Askal Gabdulla,
went to the Ulag-Bolgar and remained there. But one of Askal's sons, Balchek, returned
to the Bolgar. A son of Balcheka Tatur went along the Horys-üly with the the Bulgarian embassy sent to
the Egypt, and saw his relatives in
the Ulag-Bolgar.

The greatest quantity of the Ulag-Bulgarian refugees came to the
Echke-Bulgar in the 1207-1217. The son of Ulag-Chishma, Dervish, brought a first group of
the refugees. Among the refugees was an Ulag-Bulgarian Prince Ulag-Azan and his son Idjim-Burat.
The refugees were placed in the Bish-Balta,
where they set up a church and a cemetery, and in the Burat, where
(after a departure
of Ulag-Azan to the Ulag-Bolgar after a while) Idjim became a wali
(local head). In the Bulyar the Ulag-Bulgarian refugees have settled even earlier, and also
had their cemetery. During the reign of Bulgarian Kan Mir-Gazi
(1225-1229)
Ulag-Bolgars formed a
military unit which distinguished itself crushing the Suzdal-Ryazan army in the 1228
near the Deber. And the Ulag-Bulgarian Kans were
protected by a special unit composed of the Bulgarian Kumans, Torks and Badjinaks.
That unit was headed by the sons and grandsons of Terter, and some of them, with
a sanction of the Ulag-Bulgarian Kans, professed Islam. A grandson of Terter, a
Christian Torna Tiptar camed to the Bulgar with Ülay (Ülian) as a
Ulag-Bulgarian ambassador. Because Torna accepted Islam, Kan Altynbek
allowed Ülay to come to Ufa, and Torna was appointed a wali of the fortresses
on the river Baradj-Chishma (it began to be called Tornali)...

A son of Khan Guza, Burnay Mustafa, received a land on the river
Cheremshan and begotten the clan Vurnay...75

... The Bulgar Emirs were frequently appointing the heads of the tax
department, popularily simply called “tamgachi“ as the Visiers. But when
the Bulgars got rid of the Kypchak tribute burden (in 1437),
the Bulgarian Visiers
began to be popularily called “bahshi“...

All Visiers were coming from the noble clans, more often suvaries
(the richest merchants), capable of supporting the state treasury
during critical moments with their own...

The most well-known Visier after Fayzulla was Ibragim Suvari
(the grandson of Hudja and son of Gusman), which
was from a Kush clan and was a Visier for 50 years (from 1264
to 1314). Before him the Visier was his father, Gusman Suvari
(1260-1264). Ibragim was so known
that people called his time “time of Ibragim“. People were composing legends about
his decency, kindness and honesty. During his time the Bulgar came out from an economic crisis and
turned into a prospering state. His
son Isshil (pronounced Ees-shil
- Translator's Note) for some time also was a Visier
(1314-1316). In the 1323 Emir Bulüm Ordu appointed
Mohammed, the son of Ismail, as a Visier, before that he was a
Bulgarian ambassador to Egypt, to the Turkish lands, and to the Iran. He was a
Visier for 17 years (i.e. 1323-1340
- Translator's Note). In the 1360 Emir Azan appointed a Visier
the Mohammed's son
Galim, who miracluously escaped death during his pilgrimage to the Ulug-Bolgar
in the 1396. In the 1400 a Visier became the son of Galim, Shahid, who died
in the 1409. The son of Shahid, Sultan-Gali, became a Visier in the 1414 and
remained there for 20 years (i.e. 1414-1434
- Translator's Note)...

The son of Sultan-Gali, Gabdulla, was a Kazan Bahshi (Head
- Translator's Note) in the 1437-1459... The Son
of Gabdulla Mohammed (was born in 1437) was Kazan bahshi in 1480-1488.
He
distinguish himself by taking the state treasury to the city
of Korym-Chally (the second capital of the Bulgar)in
the 1487. But the Challynian Visier (a main
Bahshi and a Visier of Bulgar) Bozok accused him of loosinf a part of
the treasury, and he was discharged from the service. The son of Mohammed, Musa, was
a mullah. His time was difficult, two Bulgarian governors (Emirs)
from the Ashrafid clan fought for the power authority over Bulgar, a governor
of Korym-Chally Yadkar Kul-Ashraf
and a governor of Echke-Kazan Mamed. In the family of Musa, under a pretence of
being his son, and under a name “Sheikh-Gali“ was brought up Mohammediyar, about
the real parents of whom, the Khan Mohammed-Amin and Saulia-bika, was forbidden to
talk.76

Kul-Ashraf, seizing Kazan (in the 1524), appointed
the son of Musa,
Chally-Ibragim, a Challynian Bahshi (i.e. the Visier). Ibragim, however, did
not stand-by when the serving to Kul-Ashraf as an Ulugbek (governor)
of Kazan Il (Kazan province) Khan Safa-Garay
distributed illegally to his supporters the Kazan state lands
(which were bringing a main income into the Bulgarian treasury), and
paid the state taxes frrom the increase of the taxes upon the townspeople
and subashes (state peasants) of the Kazan Il.

“When the complaints of the Visier have not bring any results, he
he swithed to the side of the other Bulgarian governor, Mamed, who was promising
to introduce order in Kazan in a case he takes it. Ibragim helped Mamed to expel
Safa-Garay (in the 1531) from Kazan, but after
Mamed seized the capital, he also began acting like Safa-Garay. A disappointed Ibragim left
the post of the Visier and submerged into the family affairs. He
accomplished that his son Kasim (Kuba-Kasim) received
a brilliant
education at the Bulgarian university in Kazan, “Muhamad-Alamia“. The
teacher of the Kuba-Kasim was a rector of the university, Ibragim's friend sheikh Kasim
(in his honour Ibragim, who donated plernty of money for
the development of the university, named son “Kasim“).

In the 1535 Kazan was occupied by the troops of Kul-Ashraf. The Challynian Emir
summoned Ibragim and inquired, why he
did not escape from the capital, because he was threatened with execution.“A
man is born and dies at the will of the Creator, and if the Supreme
wants me to die from your hand, it is useless to run“, coolly answered Ibragim. Ibragim was
saved by a intercession of sheikh Kasim, whose opinion valued all Ashrafids.

Soon to the arena of the political fighting joined a third Ashrafid, the poet, historian, and philosopher Mohammediyar (Bu-Yurgan).
Süümbika (wife of Safa-Garay,
who was again installed in the 1535 by Kul-Ashraf as the Kazan governor) helped Mohammediyar to
return to the Bulgar from the Persia, where he was exiled to by the contenders. In
the Bulgar he again, after a long break, met Ibragim and acquainted with his son
Kuba-Kasim. Kuba-Kasim was a modest and introverted person. His teacher, sheikh Kasim
(also a scientist
and a poet) has lit in his soul an unextinguishable fire of love for the literature. So,
Kuba-Kasim helped the Siberian Khan Tahtagul to
write his “Shahri Kazan dastany“ (“Legend of the Kazan land“),
basimg on which the priest Ivan Glazatyi in the 1565 created the “Kazan
History“. Kuba-Kasim told Tahtagul the legend of Baradj and some accounts about
the history
of the Bulgar and of the Mountain Side. And Kuba-Kasim without any hesitation
gave Mohammediyar a right belonging to him, for tax collection from the peasants of one of
the mountain auls (that village received the name of
the poet,
“Bu-Yurgan“, which reached to us in the form“Bürgany“).77

Kul-Ashraf tried to undermine the autonomy of the Kazan Il, for which he tried to weaken
in every possible way the positions of the commanding in the Kazan aristocrats
(ulans or
kazanchis). With the approval of that Seid-Emir, Safa-Garay was distributing the Kazanian
lands to the nomadic feudal lord mercenaries from the Kypchak hordes, which in
the Bulgaria were called “Tatars“. Kul-Ashraf wanted to use these
mercenaries in the struggle against the ulans. But the contracted feudals began oppressing
the igenchis (farmers) under their power much more
than the Bulgarian feudals. Kuba-Kasim and Mohammediyar, seeing that, began opposing
the distributions of the Kazan lands to the “Tatars“, and
consequently, opposing the policy of Kul-Ashraf and Safa-Garay.

In the 1546, Mamed for a short time has occupied Kazan and offered Kuba-Kasim a post
of the Kazanian Bahshi. Kuba-Kasim accepted that offer,
but only after Mamed agreed to declare Mohammediyar a Kazanian seid.
Mamed installed as a Kazanian governor a Khan-Kermanian (Kasimian) Khan
Shakh-Gali. A Bulgarian patriotism and a deep knowledge of the Bulgarian culture
by the Khan appealed to Kuba-Kasim and Mohammediyar, and they became bonded by friendly relations.
Shakh-Gali managed to convince Kuba-Kasim and Mohammediyar that in the conditions when
the Turkey cannt help the Bulgaria, and the Moskovia is not threatening the
Bulgarian statehood, most favourable for the Bulgaria or its western part,
the Kazanian Il, would be to be in a
foreign policy alliance (union) with the Moscow, under an aegis of the Moscow
ruler.
A similar alliance, which did not touch the statehood or the internal suzerainty of
the Bulgaria, and only obligating the Bulgarian Kans to coordinate with their ally the foreign policy, the Bulgarian
Kandom already concluded in the 1236-1278 with the Mongolian
empire, and in the 1278-1437 with the Deshti-Kypchak hordes.

With the help of Shakh-Gali and Mohammediyar, Kuba-Kasim begun recouping from
the Kazanian “Tatar“ Kypchaks the illegally acquired state and ulanian lands. In
response the mercenaries revolted against the Kazan
provincial authorities and began threatening the city of Kazan. In head of
The mercenaries were lead by a Bulgarian aristocrat Bibarys Ryshtau, who decided
to show off before Kul-Ashraf. Kuba-Kasim, Mohammediyar and Shakh-Gali
together left Kazan and sailed down the Itil. On a way, in Tetesh
(Tetüsh) Kuba-Kasim and Mohammediyar went
ashore and spread to their estates nearby, and Shakh-Gali sailed further south, and
by the Saratau (Saratov) met his
saviors, the Kasimov border patrol...

The Kazanian merchant-artizan magistrate “Tümen“, mindful of a slaughter, refused to let
the “Tatars“ and Safa-Garay into the city until Mohammediyar would return to the post
of the Kazanian Seid. When Kul-Ashraf agreed reluctantly to satisfy this
requirement of the city magistrate, Mohammediyar returned to Kazan, but agreed to
hand over the city to Kul-Ashraf and Safa-Garay only after a declaration by the
Seid-Emir of an amnesty for Kuba-Kasim and the Kazanian townspeople.78

In the 1549, after the death of Safa-Garay, Kul-Ashraf offered Kuba-Kasim to become the
Kazanian Bahshi, and he again held that important post. In the
summer of the 1551 the army of Mamed besieged the Kazan, and Kuba-Kasim,
protected by the Bek Kuchak troops, removed the state treasury to
Korym-Chally. But Kul-Ashraf already decided to move the capital of Bulgar to
the city of Ufa (Vasyl-Balik), and ordered
Kuba-Kasim to move the treasury there. At a crossing across Kama, a Moscow unit suddenly attacked
the Kuba-Kasim's “golden train“, but Kuchak, who was protecting the transport, fearlessly
threw with his troops against the enemy. Covered by Kuchak, the train succeded
in proceeding to
Ufa, but Kuchak with a part of his people was taken prisoner. The Moscow Prince Ivan
[Sheremetev], furious because of the failure, decided to personally
slaughter the captured Bulgars.
Kuchak managed, with a help of a Bulgarian dagger “chirkes“, hidden in
his boot, to free from the shackles, and when Ivan
with his retinue came nearer to the captured and started murdering them, jumped
on him. The Bek managed to kill three guards and even to wound
the fleeing Ivan [Sheremetev], but the forces were unequal, and
the enemies chopped down brave Kuchak into pieces...

For these feats Kuba-Kasim was appointed
by Kul-Ashraf a Visier of the whole Bulgar. Untill 1584, Kuba-Kasim managed to keep “afloat“
the state machinery of the Bulgar, which was almost continuously fighting with superior forces
of the Mosha-bashi (Moskovia).

In the 1572 the Moscow cossacks, getting a wind about the departure of the Bulgarian
army to a campaign agains Moskovia (the Bulgarian army, headed by
Mamli-Kuchak, a son of Kuchak, reached the river Yoreg, i.e. Neva), attacked Bulgar
and after fierce fights occupied Ufa. Then Kasim managed in the third time miracilously tsave the Bulgar
state treasury. This time the “Bulgar gold“ was taken to Kargala, but after a while
the cossacks
were kicked out, also it
returned again to Ufa. In the spring of the 1584, during a last desperate
Bulgarian attack against the Moskovia, a new Moscow army moved to Ufa. A
mercenary
Siberian detachment that was protecting Ufa received a news about a raid of the Rus
cossacks on their possessions, and returned to the Siberia. In these conditions
the Bulgarian Kan (Seid-Emir) Sheikh-Gali (a grandson of Kul-Ashraf)
had to abandon Ufa, together with Kasim, and retreat to the
Bukhara, which hospitably sheltered the Bulgarian emigrants. With a help of the
Kirgiz Khan Shigay and his son Tafkel (Kuba-Kasim was married to the daughter
of Shigay), Kasim in a fourth time
organized shipping of the state archive and treasury. From the Bukhara,
Kasim send a part of the Bulgarian state archive to Turkey. The “book caravan“
crossed Caspian Sea and with a help of
the Kumyks and Chechens reached the Türksh fortress Azak (Azov). Some other parts
of the Bulgarian archive were later taken from Bukhara to the Iran and China. In
the Bukhara Kasim became an outstanding Islamic figure, a scientist and a
teacher, and received (like his teacher, Kasim Bulgari) a rank
of a sheikh. The Sheikh Kasim al-Kazan (as Kuba-Kasim was called in
the Bukhara) died in the 1590 at an age of 70 years old.78

The Bulgar Sardar Azan, also called Akay,
disbarked in Bulymer.
And that is a place where once (in the 985) were
disbarking the Ruses under a command of
the Prince Bulymer (Vladimir)...

From there Azan went to the Bolgar, where he had held a prayer...

After that his people dispersed onto the vicinities, calling everybody to
come
under the banners of Razi-Kazak (Stepan Razin). When
the boats with the Moscow
soldiers began nearing the Bolgar, Azan went to the Sember, to Razi-Kazak.78

... The Nugays who lived near Astarhan and Djaik
were completely ruled by Bulgar (like the Siberia and Astarhan). They protected
the Bulgarian cities, crossings and
custom offices in the lower reaches of Idel and along Djaik, and also the Bulgarian ambassadors and
merchants... To pay for the service of the loyal Nugays, a few dozens of the subash auls
of the Kazan
and Chally Cheremshan lands were paying so called the “Nygay tax“, and
for that they were here and there called the “Nygay daruga“.
The unfriendly attitude of many of our people to the Nugays in the “epoch of two houses“
(1236-1437) quickly disappeared after the Nugays
(of the Khan Ulug-Mohammed) helped Bulgar to unite and
defended it from Ahmad-Khan (in the 1460-1480)...

The Nygay Ulybiyes as a token of their fidelity to Bulgar even named themselves and
their children after the Bulgarian Seid-Emirs, who they called “Ak Patsha“. So, the
most well-known Nygay Ulybiy Seid-Ahmed was so named in honour of
Seid-Emir Yabyk-Mohammed (which most often was called Seid-Ahmed), and
another Ulybiy Yusuf was so named in honour of Seid-Emir Sain-Yusuf Artan...

The Nugays never made any unauthorized attacks against the Bulgar: all their attacks
were made under the orders of the Ashrafids themselves, to whom they served. So,
the Ulybiy Yusuf
served at times to Mamed, at times to Kul-Ashraf, and Ismail served to Mamed... During
the last attack
of Aladja (Ivan IV) against Kazan
(in the 1552) the Nugays did for the protection of
the Bulgar
more than anybody else: 3 thousand Nugays fought in the ranks of the Kazan
militiamen (Chirmyshes), 3 thousand fought in the in
Japancha division, 2 thousand guared Ufa, 5 thousand tried to stop a war between
the Siberian Khans subordinated to the Bulgar, and 5 thousand were saving the
Kyrgyzes dependent from the Bulgar (they
were attacked by the Uzbeks who with the approach of the Nugays stopped
their pursuit and retreated)...79

F.NurutdinovConspectus of “Djagfar Tarihi“ fragmentsBakhshi Iman
Abstract from the text of“DJAGFAR TARIHI“
ABSTRACT ABOUT THE LAW OF YABYK-MUHAMMED

80

... Seid-Emir Yabyk-Mohammed granted
the Siberian, Asatarkhan, Nygay, Arean,
Kazan, Djebelian (i.e. Mountain, Sembårian), Bashkortian, Ishtyakian and
Nukratian Sheikhs, Beks and Hudjis a right to elect Patshas (Kans), Ulugbeks and
Ulubiys at their djiens. The Seid-Emirs were only approving
their elections. In case the Seid-Emir would not recognize the choice of the djiens,
the djiens had to
gather again and select a new Ulugbek, until the Seid-Emir would agree
with the choice of the djien. The attempts of Sain-Yusuf and Kul-Ashraf to change that
rule caused the big shocks... (this is mine rendition
of the “Nigmatullin's text“).80

F.NurutdinovConspectus of “Djagfar Tarihi“ fragmentsBakhshi Iman
Abstract from the text of“DJAGFAR TARIHI“
ABSTRACT ABOUT SEID SHAKH-HUSAIN AND THE BOOK OF BU-YURGAN

80

... Shakh-Husain was so similar to his brother, the seid Sain-Yusuf, that
he went under his name to Artan, Crimea, Moscow, Astarhan,
Bukhara, Seber, Rum, Bardjil and other lands. He was extraordinaryly
devoted to Sain-Yusuf and enjoyed his full trust. When Burash was
discharged and died soon after that out of derangement, Sain-Yusuf installed
precisely Shakh-Husain as the Kazanian and Arean seid, because he was exactly
carrying out all instruction of his ruling brother. When Bu-Yurgan was exiled, in
relation to Mohammed-Amin and Muhammediyar he behaved so rude and heartless that Bu-Yurgan never mentioned his
name in his history... I included in the book of Bu-Yurgan his
notes... (this is mine rendition
of the “Nigmatullin's text“).80